Spline tool



Dec. 22, 1964 R. E. OMHOLT SPLINE TOOL Filed Oct. 10, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

RAY E. OMHOL 7' ATTORNEY United States Patent i 3,161,886 SPLINE TOOL Ray E. Omholt, Ber-Wyn, Pa. Powerlock Floors, Inc., 2026 Chancellor St., Philadelphia 3, Pa.) Filed Oct. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 229,633 Claims. (Cl. 1-343) This invention relates to spline tools and more particularly to a tool applying splines in horizontal grooves in the edge of boards employed in flooring.

In my prior US. Patent No. 3,031,725 for flooring systems, holding inserts or splines are employed which retain the boards against independent deflection between hold down clips. The tool of the present invention is particularly suitable for the application of such splines.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a spline tool which is particularly suitable for the insertion of horizontal splines in horizontal grooves of boards used for flooring.

,It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spline tool which will retain a plurality of splines for rapid and successive insertion of splines by impact applied on a driving head thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spline tool of the character aforesaid which can be readily adjusted for the application of a spline in wood flooring at the desired location, below the top surface of the flooring.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spline tool which is rugged, and free from operating difliculties.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spline tool in which the driving head thereof is mounted in an improved manner so as to be easy to drive by impact while being returnable without binding.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spline tool with which horizontal splines can be applied while in a standing bent over position without the necessity for the user kneeling at or near the location of application.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a spline tool in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical central sectional view taken approximately on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the lower part of the tool shown in FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a spline for driving by the tool of the present invention.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings a sheet metal spline 10 of a type suitable for application by the tool of the present invention is shown in FIG. 6 and includes a plurality of horizontal stiffening corrugations which also aid in retaining the spline in place after its initial application.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawings the spline tool in accordance with the invention preferably includes a mounting head having a rear wall 21 with a vertical rear face 22 on which a gage bracket 23 is vertically adjustably mounted by studs 24 which extend through vertically elongated slots 25 into the rear Wall 21 of the mounting head 20. The bracket 23 has an underface 26 which is adapted to engage the upper surface of the flooring into the side of which the spline 10 is to be driven.

The rear wall 21 also has a downwardly extending portion with a vertical face 27 forwardly disposed th respect to the face 22. The face 27 serves to engage the vertical side face of the floor board F into which the spline 10 is to be driven. The opposite face 22a serves with the bottom margin 22b to strip a spline from the stack. The bottom margin of the wall 21 is preferably provided with spaced extensions 28, formed at least in part complemental to the splines 10, which aid in stripping a spline 10 from a stack for driving into position.

The mounting head 20 has, integrally connected to the rear wall 21, spaced side walls 30 with a vertical opening 31 therebetween for a stack of spline 10. The side walls 30 are connected at their front portions by an upper horizontal wall 32, and side wall extensions 34 which have horizontal slots 35, end openings 36 and inwardly extending horizontal guide rails 37.

The side walls 30 and side wall extensions 34 have horizontal blind spring receiving openings 38 for the reception of compression springs 39. The horizontal wall 32, side walls 30 and side wall extensions 34 surround a horizontal opening 40 in which a driving head 41 is mounted.

The driving head 41 has horizontal side cheek portions 42 which have complemental grooves 43 into which the guide rails 37 ext-end for guiding the head 41 in a horizontal path. The driving head 41 has a horizontally dis posed bottom plate 44 and a front wall 45 with a striking face 46, an inclined surface 47, providing clearance for striking the surface 46. At the rear of the driving head 41 a spline shelf 48 is provided having a spline driving face 49 extending upwardly therefrom. The shelf 48 is movable beneath the spaced extensions 28 as the driving face 49 slides a spline 10 from the bottom of the stack and drives it into place. 7

The lower margins of the side walls 30 have stop feet 29 secured thereto to provide side supports from beneath for the stack of splines and supports which permit a spline from the bottom of the stack to be driven by the face 49.

The driving head 41 is normally urged to retracted position by the engagement of the springs 39 with a cross pin 50, the ends of the pin 50 being slidable in the slots 35.

The mounting head 20 has extending vertically up wardly from the side walls 30 frame bars 51 which are connected at the top by a top frame bar 52 and have spaced downwardly therefrom a cross bar 53 to which a horizontal handle 54 is secured by a stud 55 and nut 56 bearing against a washer 57. The washer 57 engages an internal shoulder in the handle 54.

The frame bars 51 have the interiors thereof of channel or block U-shape to provide a chute 58 for the reception of a stack of splines 10. Entrance chute arms 59 are provided for the introduction of the splines 10 to the chute 58.

In order to urge the splines 10 downwardly in the chute 58 a spline advancing frame block 60 is provided, movable vertically in the chute 58 and urged downwardly by a leaf-spring 61 which is secured at one end to the wall 32 and at the other end is coiled on a spring mounting pin 62 carried on an upwardly extending bifurcated portion 63 of the block 61. A retaining bracket 64 carried on 3 the block 60 has an aperture 65 adapted for engagement with a stud 66 on the top frame bar 52 to hold the block 61 at an uppermost position for spline insertion at the chute arms 59.

An actuating handle 67 is also provided on the block 61 to facilitate the raising thereof for insertion of splines into the chute 58 and the lowering thereof into engages ment with the uppermost spline of a stack of splines 10.

The mode of use will now be pointed out.

The tool is initially supplied with a stack of splines 10, inserted at the chute arms 59 and filling, or substantially filling the chute 58 up to that location. The block 60, urged downwardly by the spring 61, engages the uppermost spline of the stack and urges the stack downwardly in the chute 58, with the lowermost spline supported by the stop feet 29.

The tool, supported by the one hand of the user gripping the handle 54, is moved to the location where a spline is to be inserted.

The gage bracket 23 is brought to bear on the upper surface of the flooring F and the vertical face 27 brought against the side edge of the flooring F.

With the tool thus positioned a blow is struck with a hammer (not shown) on the striking face 46. The impact moves driving head 41 against the force of the springs 39. This movement is effective to move the spline shelf 48 rearwardly so that the driving face 49 by its engagement with the lowermost spline in the chute 58, drives this spline into position.

The driving head 41 is retracted, after each such impact, by the springs 39 and is ready for successively driving additional splines at other selected locations to which the tool is moved.

I claim:

1. A spline tool comprising a mounting head, spaced upright frame bars extending upwardly from said mounting head and having a spline chute carried thereby and terminating in said mounting head, a supporting handle mounted on said frame bars and extending from said frame bars at the upper portion thereof, said mounting head having a rear wall and rearwardly extending side spaced walls connected by said rear wall, each of said side walls having a guide rail carried thereby, a driving head having opposite spaced portions in interengaging relation with said guide rails mounting said driving head for horizontal movement in said mounting head, spaced resilient members contiguous to said spaced portions for urging said driving head in one direction, said driving head having a striking face intermediate said spaced portions and on the opposite side of said frame bars from said handle for impact impelling of said driving head in the opposite direction, said mounting head having a spline stripping and guiding surface, said driving head having a plate portion movable beneath said mounting head,

said plate portion providing a spline shelf with a spline supporting face and a driving face extending upwardly from said supporting face at the rear thereof, and a gage plate adjustably mounted on said mounting head and having a face portion for vertical adjustment with respect to said stripping and guiding surface of said mounting head.

2. A spline tool as defined in claim 1 in which said mounting head has opposite vertical faces with a bottom connecting margin, one of said vertical faces providing a mounting head positioning face and the other of which with the bottom margin acts with the driving head for spline stripping.

3. A spline tool as defined in claim 1 in which said mounting head on opposite sides thereof has horizontally spaced openings in which said resilient members are positioned.

4. A spline tool as defined in claim 3 in which a resiliently impelled member is mounted in said spline chute urged downwardly in said chute.

5. A spline tool as defined in clahn 3 in which a spline impelling member is provided guided in said chute and a coil spring connected at one end to the mounting member and carried by said impelling member and coilable thereon urges said impelling member downwardly in said chute.

FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Sept. 9, 1941 

1. A SPLINE TOOL COMPRISING A MOUNTING HEAD, SPACED UPRIGHT FRAME BARS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID MOUNTING HEAD AND HAVING A SPLINE CHUTE CARRIED THEREBY AND TERMINATING IN SAID MOUNTING HEAD, A SUPPORTING HANDLE MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME BARS AND EXTENDING FROM SAID FRAME BARS AT THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF, SAID MOUNTING HEAD HAVING A REAR WALL AND REARWARDLY EXTENDING SIDE SPACED WALLS CONNECTED BY SAID REAR WALL, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING A GUIDE RAIL CARRIED THEREBY, A DRIVING HEAD HAVING OPPOSITE SPACED PORTIONS IN INTERENGAGING RELATION WITH SAID GUIDE RAILS MOUNTING SAID DRIVING HEAD FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT IN SAID MOUNTING HEAD, SPACED RESILIENT MEMBERS CONTIGUOUS TO SAID SPACED PORTIONS FOR URGING SAID DRIVING HEAD IN ONE DIRECTION, SAID DRIVING HEAD HAVING A STRIKING FACE INTERMEDIATE SAID SPACED PORTIONS AND ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID FRAME BARS FROM SAID HANDLE FOR IMPACT IMPELLING OF SAID DRIVING HEAD IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID MOUNTING HEAD HAVING A SPLINE STRIPPING AND GUIDING SURFACE, SAID DRIVING HEAD HAVING A PLATE PORTION MOVABLE BENEATH SAID MOUNTING HEAD, SAID PLATE PORTION PROVIDING A SPLINE SHELF WITH A SPLINE SUPPORTING FACE AND A DRIVING FACE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID SUPPORTING FACE AT THE REAR THEREOF, AND A GAGE PLATE ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON SAID MOUNTING HEAD AND HAVING A FACE PORTION FOR VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID STRIPPING AND GUIDING SURFACE OF SAID MOUNTING HEAD. 